One of the lesser known methods of irrigation uses a wick to conduct water to plants. I was first introduced to this in a paper from India, where wicks were used in conjunction with buried clay pot irrigation (Mari Gowda, 1974; Bainbridge, 2001). A hole or holes are punched in the buried clay pot and a porous wick made of cotton is inserted in the hole. The material wicks the water from the container into the soil and provides a slow steady source of water to encourage root development and plant growth further away from the buried clay pot. Wicks can also be used on their own for very efficient watering at low cost.